William hughes



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. HUGHES. APPARATUS FOR SCORING BILLIARDS.

No. 410,973. Patented Sept. 10, 1889.

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No. 410,973. Patented Sept. 10, 1889 AMA 3::5: E:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

\VILLIAM HUGHES, OF LIVERPOOL, COUNTY OF L. NOASTER, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SCORING BILLIARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,973, datedSeptember 10, 1889.

Application filed November 30, 1888. Serial No. 292,355. (No model.)Patented in England April 30, 1888, No 6,363.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

ie it known that 1, WILLIAM HUcHEs, a subject of Her Majesty the Queenof Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Liverpool, county ofLancaster, England, have invented an improved apparatus for scoring ormarking at billiards or other games and for the registering the numberof games played, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain,No. 6,303, hearing date April 30, 1888,) of which the following is aspecification.

My invention involves both visible and invisible automatic registrationof the number of games played by means beyond the control ofunauthorized persons. It is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the case containing andembodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is asection on theline moo, Figs. 1 and 3,the more distant parts of the device being omitted. Fig. 3 is a sectionat 1 y, Fig. 2, looking to the left. Fig. at shows in plan a hopper inthe top of the box. Fig. 5 is a section at z .2, Fig. 3,1ooking to theright. Fig. 6 is a partial section at v 1;, Figs. 1 and Figs. '7 and 8are detail views.

In the drawings, A'is a case of suitable form provided with a scale orseries of numbers 0, arranged in a straight line and suited to the gamesin the playing of which this apparatus is to be used. Above and belowthis scale are parallel horizontal slots N, in which slide short barsbearin pointers P, that slide, respectively, over the upper and lowersides of the scale, being pushed along in the usual manner from time totime as points are made. By means of devices inclosed within the case,when either of the pointers reaches the number indicating the completionof the game, it automatically causes the falling of the corre spondingone of two disks, normally concealing a like number upon the side of thecase. It further causes one of a supply of registering-balls to bedischarged into a locked receptacle D, the key of which is in thecontrol of some responsible party. lVhen the upper pointer is returnedto zero, a single unit is added to a number displayed at T, so that thisnumber always indicates the total nun1- ber of games played since theapparatus was set at Zero. The pointer-bearin g bars, which slide in theslots N, bear upon their inner ends, and just within the case-wallrollers Q, which actuate most of the movable parts of the apparatus.Each pointer advances as points are added to its score, and-when eithernears the end of its slot it pushes aside a plate U, fixed to a rotarypin V, passing through the case-wall and having upon its outer end asmall disk S, that holds in its grooved edge the otherwise unsupportedside of the disk S. The bottom of the groove is eccentric with referenceto the axis of the pin, and as the plate U is swung by the advancingroller the deeper portion of the groove is brought next the disk S, andthe latter is thereby released, when it falls by gravity, exposing theconeealed number. Gravity also restores the plate to its originalposition when it is freed from the roller. The balls to be droppedsuecessively into the compartment D are introduced into the ease byputting them into a hopper B in its top, whence they pass by gravitydown an inclined conduit 0 until they are stopped by a sliding valve 1.The latter is a slightly-curved iiat bar hinged at its upper end to afiat spring J, fixed to the wall of the case. Apertures in this barreceive the free ends of two levers R, having their other ends pivoted,respectively, just below the slots N, and which normally cross the slotsobliquely, being supported in that position by the spring J. XV hen,however, either pointer advances, its roller Q gradually depresses thecorresponding lever, which carries downward with it the bar I and theother lever. As the bar descends, the ball next it is cut off from theremainder by the lip of a block M, fixed to the side of the bar, andpasses out through an aperture L, which is brought into the line of theconduit by the bars descent and drops into the compartment D. \Vhen thelevers are freed from the rollers, the spring J returns them to theirformer positions and raises the aperture L above the open end of theconduit. Except when the balls are to be introduced into the conduit,the latter is cut off from the hopper by a plate F, carried upon theupper end of a lever G, pivoted to the case at H, and accessible onlywhen the receptacle D is unlocked. When the upper of the two pointers isreturned to the zero-point, its roller, striking a swinging bar 2,actuates wheels 3 4,'Fig. 3, upon the outer face of which numerals arearranged in order, and which are so placed that one figure of each wheelmay be displayed at the apertures T, Fig. 1. These wheels are mounted ina frame 5, suspended upon the wall of the case, and upon the axis of thewheel 4 the bar 2 swings freely. A ratchet-wheel 8 is fixed to thiswheel, and with its teeth engages a pawl 9,1nounted upon the bar2 andactuated by a spring 10. Evidently the swinging of the bar in onedirection rotates the wheel,

while during its swinging in the opposite'dt rection the spring 10yields, and the pawl slips over the teeth, a light spring-pawl 6 at thesame time preventing reverse rotation. From the edge of the wheel 4projects a lug 11, and this once in each revolution of the wheel 4: e11-gages one of a series of notches 12 in the margin of the wheel 3 androtates the latter through the angular space of one of the figuresthereon and then releases it. A pawl 7, similar to the pawl 6, preventsreverse rotation. WVhen the parts are properly proper: ti0ned,eachvibration of the bar 2 moves the wheel 4 through the space of one figurethereon, and the motion that brings to view the last of theunit-characters 0 at the aperture T adds one to the tens exhibited atthe adjacent aperture.

To prevent unauthorized use of the apparatus for scoring, devices shownin Figs. 3 and 6 are employed. The rollers, being carried back nearly tothe zero-point, are prevented from again advancing by a T-shaped bar 15,pivoted in a block 16 upon the casewall, and normally held in the pathof the rollers by a spring 17. When the rollers are to be released, akey 18 is thrust through a suitable aperture in the case-wall againstthe T- bar, swinging it out of the path of the rollers. The key is thenturned ninety degrees, bringing a bar 19 into position transverse to thekey-aperture to prevent the retraction of the key, and leaving therollers free as long as the key remains in this position.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination, with the closed case, the scalethereon, and the pointers sliding over the scale to register pointsmade, of a visibly-registering device and a registering device concealedwithin the case, each actuated by the movement of a pointer to the limitof its path, substantiallyas set forth, whereby the games completed areregistered both visibly and secretly by means beyond the reach of theplayers or other unauthorized persons.

2. The combination, with a closed case provided with an externalpoint-scoring scale and having its walls slotted parallel to said scale,of bars sliding in the slots, respectively,

duit leading from the hopper to a point above the compartment, theperforated spring-supported valve-bar closing the lower end of saidconduit, the balls lying in said conduit, the cut-out block secured tothe valve-bar, and the scoring-pointers automatically actuating saidvalve-bar when pushed forward in scoring, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the case provided with the scale and theparallel slots upon each side thereof,"of thebars sliding in the slots,respectively, the pointers upon the outer ends of the bars, the rollersupon the inner ends of the bars, the pivoted springactuated T,- shapedbarnormally obstructing the path of the rollers, and the key adapted tohold said bar out of its normal position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the case, the ballconduit therein, the ballsmoving freely in the conduit, the spring-supported valve-bar closing theexit from said conduit, the locked compartment below the exit, theexternal scale upon the case, the pointers passing along the scale, theinternal rollers carried with the pointers, and the oblique pivotedlevers crossing the path of the rollers and engaging said valve-bar,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Dated this 30th day of October, 1888.

W. HUGHES. Witnesses:

ARNOLD I-IUGHEs, GEO. R. VUMBELL.

